Union and Confederate troops set up camp on the steps of theBrookhaven Military Memorial Museum Saturday to emphasize theservice of Lincoln Countians in the Civil War.

Civil War reenactors with the 16th Louisiana Infantry Regiment,with members from southwest Mississippi and southeast Louisiana,conducted the living history demonstration.

Dennis Neal, a Brookhaven resident and member of the unit,estimated more than 50 visitors visited with the “soldiers” tolearn about how life during the Civil War and to tour the museum,which features displays of Lincoln Countians who have fought innearly all U.S. conflicts.

Museum visitor Mike Reid, of Brookhaven, came with his daughter,Kaylee, and her friend, Katelyn Reid, and said the reenactors”absolutely” added a interesting element to their stay.

“I’ve popped in here before, but it’s a whole other thing tohave demonstrations of the equipment and to have someone that canexplain how everything happened,” Reid said. “They were veryknowledgeable and answered all of Kaylee’s questions.”

He said that is more difficult than it would appear because,although she is young, Kaylee has an intense interest in history -and particularly the Civil War.

“World War II is very interesting too, but I love the CivilWar,” she said.

Kaylee’s questions about the bayonet prompted a 15-minutediscussion of its design and implementation.

Soldiers used the bayonet to take lives as a last resort becausethey didn’t want to be that close in to the fighting. Most often,Neal said, the blades were used in camp to pin things to theground, or stuck into the ground and an item with a hard, flatsurface would be balanced atop it to write letters on. There weremany other camp uses as well.

“They were pretty ingenious in what a bayonet could be usedfor,” Neal said.

Reenactor Wayne Aymond, of Ponchatoula, La., said he was pleasedwith the number of visitors to the museum.

“We had a fairly good turnout today,” he said. “A lot of peoplecame to see the museum, and we’re just glad we are able to helpeducate the community.”

Neal said the reenactors’ primary purpose for conducting theliving history demonstration at the museum was to “give respect tothe men who give their time, and in some cases their lives, toprotect our freedoms.”

Members of the unit were dressed as both Union and Confederatesoldiers.

Seth Allen, a member of the museum’s board of directors, said hehopes the Civil War living history event will prompt enoughinterest that the museum can hold similar events in the futurehighlighting other national conflicts to bring more attention tothose periods in history.

People interested in Civil War reenactments can visit the 16thLouisiana Infantry Regiment Web site at www.16thlainf.com.